Immune System News and Research

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Scientists identify genetic changes during infection by tuberculosis

Researchers at the Center for Biomedical Inventions at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have identified the genetic changes that Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, undergoes during infection of a living host.

22 Mar 2004

Forward step in treatment of Allergic Rhinitis

Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced the presentation of clinical data for R112, the company’s lead candidate for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, during a poster session at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) in San Francisco, CA. The phase I/II single dose trial demonstrated that R112 was well tolerated and showed favorable biological effects.

22 Mar 2004

New research may help prevent anthrax, bubonic plague and typhoid fever

The mechanism used by the bacteria that cause anthrax, bubonic plague and typhoid fever to avoid detection and destruction by the body’s normal immune response, leading to life-threatening bacterial infections, has been identified by researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine.

22 Mar 2004

Pharmexa vaccine is designed to induce antibody responses against the HER-2 protein

Pharmexa presents data from the HER-2 Protein AutoVac™ breast cancer trial at a Conference in Hamburg Summary: Pharmexa is presenting data from the first clinical trial in USA with the HER-2 Protein AutoVac™ vaccine at the 4th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC) in Hamburg, Germany.

22 Mar 2004

Study of three treatments of type 2 diabetes in children and teens has begun in US

A clinical study comparing three treatments of type 2 diabetes in children and teens has begun in 12 medical centers and their affiliated sites around the country, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced today.

22 Mar 2004

Mouse antibodies neutralise SARS virus

The mouse immune system develops antibodies capable of single-handedly neutralizing the SARS virus, researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) report in the April 1 issue of the Journal of Virology, now available online. NIAID is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

22 Mar 2004

Scientists identify blood development gene which may aid the fight against cancer and leukemia

Researchers at Harvard-affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have pinpointed a crucial gene on which the normal development of the body's entire blood system depends. If the gene is absent, even the most basic blood stem cells cannot be generated. In a mutated form, this gene can cause a rare and devastating form of leukemia.

22 Mar 2004

Cigarette Smoking May Lower Rates of Neurodegenerative Diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's

While the health risks of tobacco are well known, several studies have shown that people with a history of cigarette smoking have lower rates of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. However, the explanations for nicotine's neuroprotective effects continue to be debated.

22 Mar 2004